Book Marketing on a Budget: What Works When You Have $500

The Reality of Author Marketing Budgets

You’ve finished your book. Now you need readers who know it exists. Most authors have $500 or less. Here’s what actually works at that budget.

Before Spending Anything

Optimize your product page. Your Amazon page is where sales happen. Ensure your cover looks professional at thumbnail size, your blurb hooks immediately, your categories are right, and you have at least 5-10 reviews. Spending money driving traffic to a weak page wastes that money.

Build your email list. Create a reader magnet (free story, bonus chapter). Use free tiers of MailerLite or Mailchimp. Put signup links in your book’s front and back matter.

Claim author pages. Amazon Author Central, Goodreads Author Profile, BookBub Author Profile. All free, all overlooked.

The Best $200 You’ll Spend

Newsletter promotions ($30-$100 each): Bargain Booksy, Robin Reads, BookSends, ENT, Fussy Librarian. Stack multiple promotions on the same day with a $0.99 price—this generates velocity that boosts Amazon ranking.

For series: Make book one free or $0.99. The real money is read-through to full-price sequels.

Amazon Advertising

Start with $5-10/day. Sponsored Products automatic targeting lets Amazon find relevant keywords. Gather data for 2-4 weeks, then create manual campaigns targeting keywords that converted.

ACOS below 70% is generally sustainable. For series, break-even on book one might be worth it for read-through revenue.

Social Media Reality

Social media sells few books directly. Its value is long-term relationship building. If time is limited, pick one platform. Be a reader, not just a seller. Engage genuinely before expecting engagement.

Sample $500 Budget

• $150: Stacked newsletter promotions for launch
• $200: Amazon Ads at $5-7/day for first month
• $100: Second round of promotions at month 2
• $50: Reserve for experiments

The Unsexy Truth

The best marketing for your current book is your next book. A deep backlist converts casual readers into fans. Marketing on a budget means being strategic—do the few things that actually move books, then write another one.